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Friday, March 28, 2014

The
Forgotten Pharaoh

He everyone,

On my blog
today, I’m highlighting the new release of a good friend of mine, Laura De Luca

Julie Gerber
isn't thrilled to be pulled out of school her senior year to follow her parents
halfway around the world to unearth a lost pyramid. However, when the cute
British guy and the mysterious financier of their project both fight for her
attention, things start to get interesting.

The pharaoh known as Djedefre was cursed for the murder of his eldest brother.
The work of the archaeologists brings new secrets to light, ones that prove the
fallen god-king wasn't the villain history had painted him to be. Can they
prove his innocence?

As the team digs deeper into the mystery, members of the party vanish or end up
dead. Someone is determined to keep the truth hidden at all costs, even 4,500
years later.

Friday, March 21, 2014

The Dreaded Synopsis

This time around, I thought
I’d write about something that appears to strike fear into the hearts of even
the most experienced authors…the dreaded synopsis.

I have a new release coming
out soon – Kiss of the Succubus – the
second novel in the Cambion Journals
series, so writing a synopsis is something very much on my mind.

For those of who are fans of
the series, you will remember that book one, The Rage of Augustus, introduced us to our hero, Augustus Thorne.
We found out a bit about him. His origins and history, what makes him tick, and
so forth, and especially why he is so harsh with himself.

Augustus is a Cambion, a
human/demon hybrid of stunning power and fiendish appetites who hates what he
is with a vengeance. Despite his origins, Augustus has made great sacrifices to
control his desires and has devoted his life to one cause. The destruction of
as many demons as is possible.

In the first book we
witnessed how successful he is at what he does. But we also saw the price of
his success. A self imposed isolation that makes him crave what others have.
The chance to meet someone. Settle down. Have a family. We shared in his pain
when his only foray into romance ended in inevitable disaster, due to the
machinations of his own spawn-father, Fanon, and the demon King, Samael.

(I won’t go into too much
detail in case some of you haven’t read the story yet and are intrigued by the
references and want to find out more. The links are in the side bar).

So – how to approach the
synopsis of book two – or any book come to that?

I did a lot of research on
this subject. Some of it I loved, while other suggestions made me cringe. To
keep things simple, I’ll share my
process with you, and you can take the bits you like from it.

The main thing I do now is a
more thorough form of self editing. Once I’ve written a chapter, I check
through it and jot down the relevant points each section of the story makes. By
the time the first draft is completed, I have a précis of each chapter, in note
form.

Then I complete my final
check of the entire manuscript. As I go through it, I ensure my notes are
correct, and add in extra details…such as main character development and how
this relates to the plot/sub plot evolution.

Now I’m ready to do the
synopsis. The story is fresh in my mind, and important facets are still to the
fore.

The first thing I do is ask
myself. So, what’s this tale about? How
would I sum the main thrust of it up in a concept? Doing this gets my mind
working in the right way for the next – and what I’ve found to be – crucial
stage for a good synopsis. Atagline.

A tagline is a simple phrase
– encapsulated in a sentence or two – that encompasses what your entire story
is trying to relate to the reader.

For example, In Rage of Augustus, I thought of the
tagline, “He fights where evil fears to tread.” For Kiss of the Succubus, “Hell hath no fury like a Cambion
Scorned.”

Read those statements for a
moment. What thoughts and images do they conjure in your mind? Do you see how
the tagline acts as a focusing agent? Not just to the reader, but for you too.

So, armed with those ideas,
I then type out my notes. As I do so, I highlight in red where the chapters
support the tagline, and in blue where important character and plot
developments take place.

Come the end of the
compilation, I have a set of bullet points from which to choose my synopsis
material. Obviously, you will then be influenced by what each publisher
expects. Some, like Tor, require between 3 to 10 pages. Others, a mere 200
words or less.

By completing notes as I
construct the story, I find it helps a great deal in producing a flexible
synopsis at the end. That way, I have the luxury of being as detailed or as
brief as the publisher prefers.

So there you go. It’s not
rocket science, and it’s a simplified explanation of a process that works for
me. I hope you find something in it that helps you.

By the way.
As I’ve mentioned Kiss of the Succubus,
I’m glad to announce that next weekend will see a cover release of the new
book, together with details of a grand prize draw giveaway. I know…As Darth
Sidious would say, “I can feel your excitement all the way from Greece. Feed
it, and become strong in the ways of the Cambion.”

My latest Blog for Astronaut.com

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The World of The IX Series

About Me

I am a Royal Marine and Police veteran from the UK who now lives on the beautiful Greek island of Kos with my wife, Annette, and our growing family of rescue cats.
As creator of the critically acclaimed IX Series, and Hell Bound & Hell Hounds, (novels forming part of Janet Morris' Heroes in Hell universe), I also have the privilege of being a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, the British Fantasy Society, and the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers.
When not working, I devote some of my spare time to assisting NASA with one of their remote research projects, and supporting charities. I also write educational articles for Astronaut.com and Amazing Stories.
On weekends, you might also find me drinking Earl Grey Tea whilst dressed as Captain Jean Luc Picard.
Make it so...
If you would like to find out more, just follow the links at the top of the page.

The Future of Science Fiction

The IX Series

The Senate & The People of Rome

The IX

International #1 Bestseller

The IX

The IX, an epic novel spanning past, present, and future:The ultimatum:Fight or die.Roman legionnaires, far from home, lost in the mists of Caledonia; a US cavalry company on a special mission for Presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln; and a Special Forces unit from the 21st century, desperate to prevent nuclear catastrophe:Snatched away from Earth at the moment of death to a failing planet far away, these misfit soldiers must unite against a relentless foe, where the cost of victory may be more than they're willing to pay. How far will they go to stay alive?From Perseid Press.

Exordium of Tears

Book 2 of The IX Series

Exordium of Tears

Fight or die.That simple yet brutal reality is the tenet by which the refugees from Earth – including the fabled lost 9th Legion of Rome; the 5th Company, 2nd Mounted Cavalry Unit; and the Special Forces Anti-Terrorist Team – were forced to live by while the Horde menace existed. Believing that the threat is over, thesurvivors now yearn to settle down, start families, and reclaim the lives stolen from them.But such aspirations might remain beyond their reach, for a shadow looms on the rose-tinted horizon of new beginnings.The release of the re-genesis matrix has done much to foster a restoration of exuberance across Arden. Along with a resurgence in floral and faunal diversity comes the results of splicing the Ardenese and human genomes: transmutation. Ametamorphosis of stunning magnitude that not only affects the living, but those still is stasis as well.Recognizing the emergence of a new hybrid species, the Architect – the arcane AI construct tasked with the preservation of the Ardenese race – responds by unlockingpreviously hidden and inaccessible areas of the city. It also releases an archive of sealed state secrets. Such revelations are eagerly perused, whereupon a shocking discovery is made.Prior to the fall, it was common knowledge amongst the Senatum (the highest levels of Arden’s government) that not all the rabid Horde had joined in the rampage across the stars toward Arden.Realizing that the peril still exists, the newly reformed administration elects to respond in earnest. Existing resources are utilized, suitable candidates are chosen, and a flotilla of ships is sent out to secure, quarantine, and reclaim the outer colonies. A mammoth and hazardous undertaking. And nowhere more so than at the planet from where the outbreak was known to have originated – Exordium – for there, the ancient Horde are not only supremely evolved and highly organized, but are capable of a level of lethal sophistication, the likes of which has never been witnessed before.It is into this kiln of incendiary potential that the cream of Arden’s fighting forces is deployed.Worlds are torn asunder, suns destroyed, and star systems obliterated. Yes, tragedy is forged, in a universe spanning conflict which proves once again that…

Death is onlythe beginning of the adventure.

Prelude to Sorrow

The IX Series

Prelude to Sorrow

The task force dispatched from Arden to eradicate the Horde menace failed, and for those few left alive, the tenet by which they have survived for so long resounds as never before.

Fight or Die!

Now marooned, out of time and out of place, the survivors lick their wounds and struggle to recover while the Horde gather their strength for a final strike that will change the course of history forever. The fate of the galaxy – and more – hangs in the balance.

But fate, it seems, isn’t done with the Ninth, and our heroes find themselves forced to mount a last-ditch attempt to end the threat once and for all.

Will the darkness be vanquished, or will our heroes’ efforts finally signal the beginning of the end of their adventure?

The Glorious Ninth

Fight or Die!

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Fire Asylum Business

Fire Asylum Admissions

Welcome to the Fire Asylum. This is truly a safe place for what the world contends is insane behavior. The activities here are specifically designed with the firefighter in mind. Your training here, or treatment, may seem tough and challenging. Remember that it is for your own good. Here are a few words from our director of activities to inspire your stay.

"In our silent crucible, we are tested by fire. In that place where life can and does change forever, peace is given like a gift to the ones who have endured."

Hell Bound

International #1 Bestseller

Hell Bound

In hell, none of the condemned believes they deserve to be there. And that’s fine, so long as they’re not foolish enough to try and do anything about it. For those that do, there’s always Satan’s Reaper–and chief bounty hunter–Daemon Grim.Feared throughout the many layers of the underverse, no one in their right mind dares to cross him.However, when Grim discovers that someone has attempted to evade injustice, and seems hell-bent on gaining access to ancient angelic artifacts proscribed since the time of the original rebellion in heaven, circumstances point to the fact they may be doing just that.The question is...why?Thus begins an investigation that leads Grim throughout the many contradictory and baffling levels of the underworld, where he unearths a conspiracy that is not only eating its way like a cancer through the highest echelons of Hellion society,but one which threatens the very stability of Satan’s rule.

As you can imagine, Grim’s response is bloody, brutal, and despicably wicked.

Pieces of Hate******************It's sink or swim in this swashbuckling adventure where Daemon Grim, Satan's Reaper, is sent on a quest to recover booty of great value to His Infernal Majesty.But what lurks at the center of Skull Island? Is it truly treasure, or will there be fools gold aplenty in a tale that proves once and for all that, when it comes to burying something in your chest, blood money is the only currency the Reaper recognizes.

Hell Hounds

Coming October 31st

Hell Hounds

Feared throughout the many circles of the underworld, Satan’s Reaper – and chief bounty hunter – Daemon Grim, is known as a true force to be reckoned with.

Having eliminated a major player in the uprising eating its way like a cancer through the underbelly of hell, Grim is stunned to discover he cannot afford to rest on his laurels, for the rebellion runs far deeper than was ever imagined. New players have emerged – denizens with uncanny abilities – who seem determined to support Chopin and Tesla’s revolutionary agenda.

Ever keen to test their mettle, the Sibitti – personified weapons of the ancient Babylonian plague god, Erra – also appear eager to capitalize on the growing unrest, and set about maneuvering events in order to place themselves in direct opposition to Grim’s investigation.

And if that was not cause for concern enough, there’s an insane angel on the loose, a creature as hell-bent on creating havoc as he is to return home.

How do Grim and his rabid pack of bounty hunters respond?

Baying for blood – doesn’t even begin to describe it.

The Perseid Press

Black Gate Fantasy

Amazing Stories

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Other Works

You can find more of my work in the following magazines or publications.